Spool-flange for bull-wheel shafts.



w. MQROADES. SPOOL FLANGE FOR BULL WHEEL SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. I916- Patented Marz13, 1917.

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WESLIE M. ROADES, OF OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED IRON VVOBKS COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

SPOOL-FLANGE FOR BULL-\VHEEL SHAF'IS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed July 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, vVnsmn M. Roaons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Okmulgee, Oklahoma, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spool- Flanges for Bull-l/Vheel Shafts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spool flange-s such as are used on the bull wheel shaft of a well-drilling rig for confining or holding in position on the shaft the rope or cable to which the drilling tool is connected.

One object of my invention is to provide a spool flange of the character referred to which is exceptionally strong I and rigid; which is compact and light in weight and which can be applied to or removed from the bull wheel shaft easily.

Another object of my invention is to provide a spool flange for bull wheel shafts which is so constructed that the rope or cable of the drilling rig can travel through same during the operation of winding the cable onto the spool, or, in other words, taking from the reserve supply and adding to the portion of the cable that is in active use. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view of a bull wheel shaft equipped with spool flanges constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the bull wheel shaft of a welldrilling rig, and B designates the cable or rope of the rig to which the drilling tool (not shown) is connected, the part 00 of the cable that is in active use being wound onto one portion of the shaft A, and the reserve supply y being wound onto an adjacent portion of said shaft. The portion m of the cable that is in active use is confined in position by means of two spool flanges that are mounted on the bull wheel shaft A in the manner shown in'Fig. 1, each of said flanges comprising a hub portion that is clamped or connected in any other suitable manner to the shaft A and a substantially disk-shaped portion that is connected to said hub portion. The hub portion and the disk portion of the device are preferably split, so that they can be applied to and removed from the shaft easily, and in the form of my invention herein illustrated the hub portion is composed of two segmental-shaped members O, preferably formed of cast metal, and made substantially angle-shaped in cross section, so as to provide two angularly-dis posed legs 1 and 2, the leg 1 extending partially around the shaft A and the leg 2 being arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said shaft. Each of the members O is reinforced and strengthened by means of a plurality of inclined ribs 3 connected to the vertical leg 2 of said member and having their opposite ends merging into thickened portions l on the horizontal leg 1. Bolts or other suitable fastening devices 5 are employed for securing the members O together and clamping them tightly to the bull wheel shaft A, the bolts 5 passing through lugs 6 at the ends of the members C, as shown in Fig. 2. If desired, each of the members C may be provided with projections 7 that bite into the bull wheel shaft A, which is usually formed of wood, and thus effectively prevent the hub portion of the device from turning on the shaft A, the projections 7 being either in the form of spurs or pointed ribs that extend longitudinally of the shaft A. The disk-shaped por tion of the device is preferably composed of two segmental-shaped plates 8, preferably formed of sheet metal, each of which is connected to the vertical leg 2 of one of the members O. In the form of my invention herein shown the plates 8 are connected to the members O by rivets 9 or other suitable fastening devices, and said members C are provided with shoulders 10, shown in Fig. 1, against which the inner edges of the plates 8 bear, the outer edges of the plates 8 being turned over or curved slightly so as to prevent injury to the rope or cable B. The spool flange that is arranged between the active portion :12 of the cable and the reserve supply y is of slightly different construction from the other flange on the shaft A with which it cooperates to form a spool for the active portion w of the cable, in that it is provided with a beveled edge slot for receiving that portion of the cable which connects the active portion 00 to the reserve supply y, said beveled slot being formed by cooperating opv positely-beveled surfaces 11 and 11 on the applied to and removed from the bull Wheel shaft by simply mani iulating two bolts or other suitable fastening devices. Furthermore, it can be attached more securely to the bull Wheel siaft than a Wooden flange; and another desirable feature of such a device is that the cable or rope of the drilling rig passes through same instead of passing over the upper edge of the flange, thereby enabling the cable to be Wound and unwound evenly, and also reducing the liability of injuring the cable as is apt to occur if the portion of the cable that connects the active portion with the reserve supply passes over the edge of the spool flange.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A spool flange for bull Wheel shafts composed of two segmental-shaped castings, each of Which comprises a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, a segmental-shaped sheet metal plate secured to the vertical leg of each of said castings, lugs at the ends of said castings integrally connected to the horizontal and vertical legs of same and provided With holes for receiving fastening devices that secure said castings together and clamp them to the bull Wheel shaft, tWo of the adjacent lugs on said castings being spaced apart, and oppositelyinclined, beveled surfaces on said spaced lugs that form a slot for the cable or rope of the drilling rig.

2. A spool flange for bull \vheel shafts composed of two segmental-shaped castings, each of which is substantially angle-shaped in cross section, pointed devices on the inner sides of the horizontal legs of said castings that are adapted to sink into the bull Wheel shaft, thickened portions on the outer sides of said horizontal legs, inclined reinforcing ribs integrally connected to said thickened portions and to the vertical legs of said castings, segmental-shaped sheet metal plates arranged on the inner sides of said vertical legs and secured to same, perforated lugs at the ends of said castings, and bolts that pass through said lugsfor securing said castings together and for causing the pointed devices thereon to sink into the bull Wheel shaft.

W. M. ROADES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

